


A Team Effort

by Arel_Rhink



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7310689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arel_Rhink/pseuds/Arel_Rhink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unable to woo him on his own, the crew helps Rhett express his feelings to the love of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Team Effort

It was about a month ago when Rhett confided in Jen with his deepest secret. She had noticed there was something off with him for a while and finally got the man alone to talk about it. Clearly his best friend hadn’t done anything to help, which was odd by itself. They’d always been there for each other, and now that Rhett seemed to need his help most he appeared to have gotten the short end of the stick.

But Rhett assured her that wasn’t the case.

He had loved his best friend his whole life, more so now than ever before.

He wanted Link to know. If he wanted something more in their relationship, he had to tell the man.

But his attempts to win Link’s affection always fell flat or hit him in the face – sometimes literally.

When Rhett’s words reached Jen’s ears, she all but smiled softly in return, saying that everyone in the crew felt that was the case. The way he always gazed into Link’s eyes, the way he smiled when Link gazed back… Then there was the flirting, the constant flirting that was typically laughed off by his raven-haired co-host. All those moments he initiated that would make some of their fans fawn and squeal. His feelings were just so obvious to them, but somehow they seemed to not reach the target of Rhett’s desperate affection.

Jen and Rhett had spoken to the crew after their brief session. Everyone was on board with the idea of aiding Rhett in his endeavors, and brainstormed exuberantly. Rhett was so grateful for having a crew that was so supportive for something so personal and not very work-related.

It started out with episode ideas… things that would give the two more and better opportunities to gawk at, flirt, and touch each other – strange product experiments, tight-fitting costumes, skits with romantic undertones… they even put in their own suggestions to the Wheel of Mythicality. Almost every time, Link would respond with nervous chuckling and self-reminders of never doing that again. The crew was close to considering their attempts pointless and that maybe Link didn’t reciprocate Rhett’s feelings…

But there were plenty of times when Rhett’s endeavors seemed to bring a certain glimmer in those bright cerulean eyes and a rapid blush to the man’s face that encouraged them to keep trying until Rhett was certain that his best friend loved him in the same way he did.

“Today’s the day,” he told himself for probably the thousandth time since teaming up with the crew. He stopped keeping track. How long he’d been trying didn’t matter anymore. He was riled up, in the zone so to speak. Link called attention to his spike in energy when he picked Rhett up for work.

“Have too much coffee this morning, Rhett?” he asked, pulling his car to a halt as the two arrived at the studio.

Rhett jumped out of the car with a vibrant grin beaming on his sunlit face. “Maybe it’s you who haven’t had enough!” the blond retorted, hopping away with a childlike giggle.

Link shook his head and followed his best friend into the building and then their office. When they arrived, Link checked the agenda for the day. “Looks like we’re filming for Valentine’s Day today,” he announced. “Jen said she found some really good questions from the mythical beasts on Facebook. You don’t happen to know if we’re doing any skits, do you?”

“I don’t think so,” Rhett answered, crossing his legs in attempt to contain his excitement. Weeks ago, he and the crew had collaborated on making their own questions for the guys to answer right on the spot. That way, Rhett can act completely on spontaneity for what he had in mind for this episode. Nothing was to be scripted or expected; just the way he wanted it to be.

“I hope you’re right,” Link commented, collecting the laptop from his desk. “I think skit answers to any of these can only end embarrassingly.”

That last addition made Rhett’s nerves bundle and twist like a fisherman’s knot. His high spirit took a sudden shift, with only doubt and regret flooding the taller man’s thoughts.

“I’ll get the crew ready. See you on set,” Link said as he sauntered out of the office, shutting the door behind him.

The second Link left, Rhett sprang up and sent a frantic text to Stevie, who was currently aiding the rest of the crew with set up.

– I don’t think this is a good idea. – he sent. Seconds later, he received her reply.

– Why? Is everything okay? – Rhett whined to himself in sheer panic before putting his thumbs back on the keypad.

– I can’t embarrass him! We need more time to rethink our options… – He sent the message and plopped into his desk chair. His head was throbbing with all the sudden pressure he was under. He considered calling the day off and just going home. His phone buzzed again.

– We can’t pull this episode back any further. We’re cutting too close. If we don’t film this today Morgan won’t have time to edit it. – Rhett let out a groan of exasperation as he slammed his head onto the desk with his arms buffering the impact. He whimpered as another buzz emanated from his phone. – You can think of something. I know you can –

Rhett sighed in defeat. He had to keep it together. Even if he couldn’t do what he had planned, he still needed to get through this episode. He could always think of another way to express himself for another day.

He forced himself to go to the studio. His mind raced with every burning second, every heavy step closer to that door. To that set. To that desk. He felt like his limbs were in chains, keeping him from even getting near that seat, and from even looking at the man beside him. Yet there he sat, and there was that glance from the beautiful, charming man that had stolen his heart since first grade. Just his greeting smile alone sent the wildest of butterflies to his stomach, and the smallest touch sent the coldest of chills down his spine. Now that Rhett felt even more vulnerable than usual, he couldn’t trust himself to stay composed… especially for what was soon to come. His heart pounded harder with every descending number that Eddie spoke.

“Are you single and ready to mingle?”

“LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT!” Rhett burst, scaring himself and everyone else in the room. His eyes scanned all over until they landed on those of the man next to him.

“Dude, are you okay?” he asked softly. His half-whispered voice sent a wave of heat to the poor blond’s face and gave him the immediate need to flee. But he stayed. The camera was still rolling and he was determined to get this over with.

“Yeah… I’m good. It was just the, uh, coffee,” Rhett replied, finishing his lie with a forced chuckle.

The other man brought a warm hand to Rhett’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “We can start over if you’d like.”

“No. We’ll… just edit that part out. Let’s just, you know, keep rolling.”

Link gave Rhett a quick once-over, patting his dear friend on the back. “Okay then… Whenever you’re ready.”

Rhett nodded with his lips pressed tight together, letting out a deep exhale through his nose. He cocked one eyebrow at the camera and, despite his trembling legs, attempted to ease himself into a more sultry direction as he wished their viewers a Good Mythical Morning. He then leaned back in his seat and breathed as best as he could without the camera picking up just how heavy it was. He let himself meditate as Link performed his Thursday intro.

“Your questions… are like winks and playful nudges, hinting at us for special attention. Then later we show up at your door with a bouquet of answer flowers – delivered specially to you.” Link paused to smile as he held his hands out to the camera as if he was handing over a bouquet of flowers. He turned to his partner and held his ‘flowers’ to him. “For you, my good friend.”

Rhett’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture as goosebumps spiked out from his skin. He smiled bashfully at the imaginary flowers, playing along with the scenario Link presented. “Oh, thank you!” he responded, pretending to accept Link’s gift. He kept his voice high and squeaky to hide any tremble that could seem out of place, but he couldn’t do anything about the redness flourishing on his perky cheeks. He shook his head back to reality, trying to further compose himself for the sake of the episode.

“Uh, happy Valentine’s Day to all you hope-FULL romantics out there… Today, we’re answering questions about crushes!” He felt a sudden wave of relief, getting more of that energy he had earlier back. He hadn’t noticed that he kept his hand clutched onto Link’s invisible bouquet.

“And our first crush question asker is… Christina on Facebook, who asks: What can I do to make my crush notice me?” Rhett’s nerves tingled at the question, as he remembered his planned response. Did he want to do it? Should he just act ridiculous and get through the episode? Before he could even think about it, his premeditated lines spewed from him like a broken faucet.

“Well, Christina, that is a very good question…” Rhett started, licking his drying lips before continuing, “though I… think it depends on the person.” He paused and turned his attention to Link. He tried to ignore the shimmer in his eyes or the light stubble adorning his face. “Take Link for example!” he continued, a bit louder than anticipated as his hands reached and grasped Link’s bony, yet toned shoulders. “Say, like… I was a girl or something… Wh-What would I have to do to get you to notice me?”

Link shot a wide smirk at the other. “Well, if you’re still the same height, I don’t think it would be difficult for anyone to notice you,” he replied with a laugh. Rhett cringed at the lack of Link’s desire to work with him, and then chuckled to hide any hint of genuine annoyance.

“Be tall, Christina… Yup. Just be talllll……”

“That should be like the universal answer. Like, the rest of these questions are already solved!” Link snickered. “But tallness aside, let’s go on anyways.”

Great. So much for that…

“Dominique on Facebook asks: I think this guy at school is trying to flirt with me. How can I be sure?”

“MANHANDLING!” Rhett blurted out, once again scaring himself and everyone else. “Guys like to wrestle and be rough with people they like.” He took a moment to recall the countless times he had initiated wrestling matches with Link when they were teenagers. He thoroughly enjoyed how Link would squirm and squeal under his weight as he lied on top of him claiming to be ‘dead’. “They like to pin them down and fight until all attention is focused on them. It’s electric!” He shot a hyper grin at Link, who gave Rhett a quizzical, yet entertained look.

“Electric, huh?” the brunet asked softly. A couple of his fingers tapped nervously against the desk. “What about the more… non-violent types?” Rhett felt Link’s searching gaze and fed right into it even though his entire being was telling him to stop before he goes too far.

Rhett gulped and spoke softly to his friend, “Well… I guess there are some guys who are into, like, the cheesy stuff… but most guys go for annoying and rough, ha ha!”

“Hm, well in that case you’re quite the flirt, Rhett,” Link snickered as he raised his mug close to his mouth. “You seem to go for the annoying approach every chance you get.”

Rhett smiled to himself, subconsciously brushing his hands upon the table.

Link put his mug back down with a light clang as he leaned forward again to read the questions on his computer. “Anyway…uh, we got another question from… Lii? I think I’m saying that right. Lii asks: Why should we ask two single guys for this kind of advice?” He paused to glare comically at the camera. “You say that like we don’t have feelings! These single guys have plenty of experience with crushes!”

Rhett slammed a hand on the table, making the brunet jump in his seat. “Like we’ve never laid eyes on someone and thought ‘hey I think that person is really swell!’ or… or have known someone for so long that they’ve become a main aspect of our lives… and all you can hope for is that they feel the same…” His voice tapered as he realized what he was saying. This episode was quickly turning into a direction he hadn’t anticipated, and was worried he would break down right there on camera. He took a deep inhale and continued, trying to remain ambiguous. “Like we’ve never wanted to go out with someone, or… or ask them to go to prom… or we’ve never felt our hearts flutter… and break! It’s not like we’ve never loved anyone so much that everything we say or do with the person we care about just builds the tension higher and higher and higher until we just…”

He turned to face the man beside him. Link was gaping at him with wide, concerned eyes and a dropped jaw. His cerulean irises searched into Rhett’s jade gaze. The bigger man could feel himself shaking, and his eyes started welling up before he could do anything to try and refrain it from happening.

“W-We just…” he repeated, still holding eye contact with his best friend. Before his heart could burst from his chest, Rhett grabbed Link’s far shoulder, pulling him into a harsh kiss that neither of them were ready for. Rhett’s lips moved mercilessly against Link’s as tears streamed down his reddened face. Small whimpers and grunts escaped from all the tension hidden throughout their thirty year friendship being released in that moment. His large hands moved ravenously, pulling the brunet closer and reveling in his rising heat. A shaky hand found its way onto Rhett’s chest, clutching the soft, pink fabric until his knuckles turned white. Rhett felt movement from the other man’s mouth, and he suddenly realized what he had done.

He shot back from the kiss, leaving a loud smacking sound in its wake. He opened his eyes to see Link still leant towards him, mouth agape and eyes fluttering open in surprise. His eyes were wet and his face had turned red. Link let out a sharp, high-pitched laugh of disbelief, shielding his mouth with both hands. Rhett peered around the room, finding only astonished gazes as the crew held their breaths in anticipation.

“Oh my god… Oh my…” Link whined, his tone and expression unreadable to anyone there. “Did… Did that just… Oh wow… I…” He hid his entire face, head on the desk with arms holding it down. His muffled, jittery breaths broke Rhett’s fragile heart.

“Oh gosh, I… I’m so sorry… I…” Rhett cried, pushing himself out of his seat and fleeing the set.

He scurried down the hall and into his and Link’s shared office. It was an obvious place for him to go, but he didn’t care about being found. He just couldn’t bear to break down on camera in front of every member of their crew. So he threw himself onto the couch and curled up until he was as small as he could get.

I can’t believe I did that. I actually did that. I kissed him! On set! On camera! Embarrassed him in front of our employees! We can’t release that! He hates me now! I’ve ruined everything! Everything we have is gonna crumble to pieces and it’s all my fault…

Rhett continued sobbing, through the faint knocks on the heavy door.

“Rhett?” called a voice from the hallway. Rhett only turned over, facing his back towards the person entering the room. He tried to muffle his whimpers with the back cushions of the couch.

The door whipped open and slammed shut behind the intruder, jumbling the shaken man on the couch. He turned and saw Link glaring at him and panting like a hungry lion eyeing its prey. He started marching toward Rhett with a posture only readable as intimidating.

“Link, please! I’m sorry! I’m sooo sorry!! I didn’t know what came over me! I –”

The brunet grabbed Rhett’s shirt, pulling the man up until they were almost eye level. His piercing eyes gleamed like freshly sharpened daggers. His breath felt hot on Rhett’s skin, giving Rhett a wave of chills that actually made him shiver.

“We’re not finished.”

Those three words made Rhett feel like all the blood in his body rushed to his face.

Before he knew it, Link had lunged forward, pressing his lips against Rhett’s… sliding and twisting and lapping at the smaller mouth. It was like he was sucking the life out of the surprised blond. And it felt amazing. So much better than their last kiss. This time they were both fully aware of the other, and giving back to every little movement. Link’s tongue slithered its way inside the other man’s mouth and Rhett quickly accepted it, letting their wet appendages dance together. Rhett let out mewls of pure desire, and Link fed off of it, growling hungrily as he played with Rhett’s lower lip – scaling the delicate skin with his incisors. Hands crawled all over the other’s body, relishing in the primal heat and the soft, tantalizing skin. Link sucked harder and harder, pulling their lips together so hard it should’ve caused bruising, letting out a loud, sloppy pop when their mouths separated. The only remaining sound was the heavy panting from both men as they smiled adoringly at each other. Rhett’s lower lip quivered at the beautiful man, pulling Link into a tight embrace.

“Oh Link, I’m… I’m so happy…” Rhett whispered, barely getting the words out as he squeezed his best friend tighter. He nuzzled into the side of Link’s face, tickling the other man’s jaw with his beard.

“Gosh, Rhett, sometimes I just hate you so much…” Link chuckled, nuzzling Rhett in return. “But I could never hate you as much as I love you. I hope you know that.”

Rhett squeezed the man even tighter, holding back a whimper at Link’s words. “Well, I do now,” he whispered in response before planting the softest kiss upon Link’s warm cheek.

Meanwhile, in the studio, the crew members celebrated a job well done after Stevie came back to report on what went down in the guys’ office. Eddie seemed especially proud of himself that out of all the questions with more potential of working, it ended up being his ridiculous question that made the sparks fly in the right direction.

When the two reentered the set hand-in-hand, Rhett made sure he thanked the crew with a blushing smile and a nod. If it wasn’t for them and their ideas, he didn’t think he could’ve done it.


End file.
